Gloucester have been disrupted by a series of injuries in the middle period of the season.

They will be without a number of players once again for their final Heineken Champions Cup Pool 2 game away to Castres on Saturday and will hope that the situation clears up with four weeks until their next Premiership game.

Here is a guide on who is out, when they are expected to return and who is back in the selection mix:

Injuries

Ruan Ackermann

The back-rower picked up a syndesmosis injury on his ankle in training in November having only just returned from a short time out with a knee injury.

Gloucester's Ruan Ackermann (Image: Getty Images)

Ackermann underwent surgery and was given a recovery time of eight to 10 weeks, meaning he is unlikely to return until late January or early February.

He will struggle to make any of Gloucester’s remaining pool games in the Heineken Champions Cup with the Premiership Cup game against Bath on February 2 looking the most likely date for a comeback.

Callum Braley

An ever-present this season who is unavailable for the Castres game with further details of his injury yet to be confirmed.

Gareth Denman

The prop has not had much look this season having struggled with an Achilles injury that kept him out until the Premiership Cup game against Bristol at the start of November when he came on as a replacement.

However, Denman hasn’t played since and has been on the list of unavailable players again in recent weeks.

An expected absence of three months means Marshall is looking at a return in February ahead of a crucial block of Premiership games against Exeter, Saracens, Bristol and Harlequins during the Six Nations period.

Jake Polledri

Went off with an ankle injury against Exeter at Sandy Park and it was revealed he suffered the same injury as Ruan Ackermann.

An estimated timescale of 10 to 12 weeks means Polledri is likely to be out until the end of February, causing him to miss most of the Six Nations.

He could return for the trip to former club Bristol if he is not called into the Italy squad.

Val Rapava-Ruskin

The unlucky prop tore his calf in the warm-up ahead of Gloucester’s Heineken Cup clash away to Exeter.

Val Rapava-Ruskin of Gloucester (Image: Getty Images Europe)

With Ackermann expecting him to be out for three to four months, don’t expect to see him in a Gloucester shirt until March or April.

Will Safe

It’s been a difficult first season as a senior professional for young flanker Will Safe, who picked up an ankle injury in Gloucester United’s derby against Bath at the end of October.